Tennessee trending for 2025 5-star QB George MacIntyre

Last week, five-star 2025 quarterback George MacIntyre told On3’s Chad Simmons that despite being focused largely on three schools, two had really stood out to him.

Among those top three were LSU, Alabama and Tennessee. And the suspected top two were the Crimson Tide and Volunteers, who have both made him their No. 1 priority in the junior class. Coming into Wednesday, Alabama was trending in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). But after Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban’s retirement news broke, the winds have changed.

Tennessee now holds a commanding lead to secure MacIntyre, the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee out of Nashville Brentwood Academy.

Following picks from On3’s Josh Newberg, as well as others in the recruiting industry, the RPM gives the Vols an 84.5 percent chance of landing their second five-star quarterback in three years.

“I am praying about it, talking it over with my family and trying to figure out a timetable for my commitment right now,” MacIntyre told Simmons a week ago. “I feel like I have seen everything in any school I have wanted to check out, so I don’t think I need anymore visits before I make my decision. Nothing is set yet, but I feel like I am at a good spot in my recruitment. A decision is coming pretty soon.”

Vols have made MacIntyre their only target this cycle

While Alabama and LSU have both shown interest in other QBs — and the Tigers recently landed No. 1 overall prospect and top QB Bryce Underwood — Tennessee has been all in on MacIntyre.

Head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle have attended multiple games of his this fall and have been in constant communication. And MacIntyre loves the wide-open, quarterback-centric offense in Knoxville.

He was also in Neyland Stadium a few times this fall and got to see what playing in front of the Rocky Top faithful would be like.

“I spent a lot of time with the coaches,” MacIntyre told Simmons after his visit in October. “Their message is that I’m their guy and always have been. They tell me the right guy with the keys to the offense makes Tennessee special.

… Seeing them make their way through the SEC again this year is big. I love the family feel in Knoxville and they have a great support system around the quarterback with coaches and schematically.”

In addition to being ranked as the nation’s No. 2 signal-caller, MacIntyre is also the No. 15 player nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.